How will a Tory government affect young people?

A Jobs Bill on youth unemployment will be the centrepiece of David Cameron’s first Tory Queen’s Speech on May 27th, he has revealed to his Cabinet.

Briefing his ministers on his early plans for reform, he said he wants to create 3 million apprenticeships as part of a drive to get 2 million more people into work by 2020.

Cameron intends to do this by making training, apprenticeships or full-time work compulsory for school leavers. He will scrap Jobseeker’s Allowance for 18-21 year-olds, instead replacing it with a 6 month Youth Allowance. After six months, young people receiving the allowance will have to take an apprenticeship, a traineeship or daily community work to receive their benefits.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: “There will be changes in terms of welfare that we will make. When it comes to youth employment and wanting to cut youth unemployment, there will be changes we make for every young person aged between 18 and 21. Any benefit they receive is changed from a Jobseekers Allowance to a Youth Allowance and they will have to take up an apprenticeship or do community or some kind of training if they want to keep receiving that benefit.”

Chancellor George Osborne said: “We are saying to young people, look you’ve got a really simple choice. You can either be earning money or learning, or in some cases doing both.”